Research Categories:Light signaling and nuclear organization in plants

Research Description: Plant growth and development are extremely plastic in response to changes in the environmental light cues. Our laboratory uses Arabidopsis thaliana, an ideal genetic model species, and a combination of genetics, cell biology, and biochemistry to investigate signaling mechanisms by which light controls transcription in plants. We have pioneered the development of light-regulated nuclear dynamic events as experimental models to elucidate signaling mechanisms by a red and far-red photoreceptor, phytochrome B (phyB). Our research focuses on two phyB-regulated nuclear dynamic events: (1) Function and regulatory mechanisms of a light-regulated and phyB-containing subnculear domain - the photobody; (2) Mechanisms of repositioning of light responsive genes by phytochrome signaling. Our investigation of photobodies has uncovered previously uncharacterized phytochrome signaling molecules and mechanisms. Our discovery of the light-regulated repositioning of the CAB1 locus to the nuclear periphery provides the initial evidence for the biological importance of gene positioning in the plant kingdom. These breakthroughs have opened new avenues to understand mechanisms of light signaling and nuclear organization in plants.